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What are the poetic devices used in the poem The Gift?

What are the poetic devices used in the poem The Gift?
American PoetryLi-Young LeeThe Gift

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    2. Radhika
      Best Answer

      1. Hyperbole- hyperbole is the use of exaggeration in a poem. In this poem, the poet exaggerates the pain from the splinter in the lines “the iron sliver I thought I’d die from” and “Metal that will bury me.”
      2. Simile- simile is used when the poet directly compares one thing to another by using the words “as” or “like”. In this poem, the poet uses simile in the lines “Watch as I lift the splinter out” and “took my hand like this.”
      3. Symbolism- symbolism is when the poet uses words to symbolize a concept, person or idea in a poem. In this poem, the poet symbol,uses his father’s hands as “two measures of tenderness” and “the flames of discipline.”
      4. Metaphor- metaphor is used when the poet makes an undercut comparison between two things without using the words “like” or “as”. In the, the poet compares the voice of his father to “well of dark water”.
      5. Imagery- imagery is the use of words by a poet to paint a picture in the minds of the reader. Imagery can be of various types; tactile, olfactory, auditory, gustatory and visual. In this poem, the poet makes use of tactile imagery to paint the picture of a metal splinter stuck in his hand.
      6. Enjambment – enjambment is when the line is continued onto the next line without any pause. In the poem, the poet uses enjambment to form an internal connection within the poem.
      7. Personification- personification is used when the poet gives human-like qualities to non-human objects. The poem personifies the metallic splinter in the line “Metal that will bury me” and he also personifies death in the line “Death visited here!”

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